L1500 Fluid Type and Capacities Help for a newbie

Profnohair

Member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1500, 42" bh, box blade, G6200HST, Mahindra 450 with BH, FEL, etc.
I will have to change all of the fluids in my soon to be new to me L1500. I do have all of the filter numbers that are listed on this site. What I really need is capacities and types. Is the hydraulic fluid in a common reservoir with the transmission on the L1500 as is mentioned in one of Vic's videos? What type of fluid goes in the transmission. What type fluid goes in the hydraulic reservoir if it is different than the transmission reservoir? I am in South Louisiana, so cold is not a big issue. What oil type? I know this is a lot of questions but I have no idea on this thing. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Profnohair
 

Bulldog

Well-known member

Equipment
M 9000 DTC, L 3000 DT
Mar 30, 2010
5,440
78
48
Rocky Face, Georgia
Just taking a guess but I would say that it holds between 5 and 10 gallons of fluid.

Type oil: If it's a common reservoir it should use tractor trans/hyd fluid. Since this oil has such a long service interval I think spending a little extra money for a higher quality fluid is the best way to go but that just my opinion.
 

Profnohair

Member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1500, 42" bh, box blade, G6200HST, Mahindra 450 with BH, FEL, etc.
Thanks a million. That is what it appeared to me to be but I wanted to be sure. The only reseviors that I see are, radiator, oil, and transmission. The only filters I see are, oil, fuel, and the hidden hydraulic screen. Is this correct?

Thanks again,

Profnohair
 

Kubota Newbie

Active member

Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Dec 28, 2010
533
81
28
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Bulldog,
Operators Manual recommendation probably depends on age of the machine. My 1985 M4500 has a common reservoir, manual specs. gear oil, but the recommendation from the dealer is to now use a hydraulic (combined duty hydraulic/transmission fluid) instead. Makes the tranny noisier, less cushion/damping effect in the oil.
 

Bulldog

Well-known member

Equipment
M 9000 DTC, L 3000 DT
Mar 30, 2010
5,440
78
48
Rocky Face, Georgia
That's interesting. Does it or if it did have a loader would it be powered with gear oil or have it's own system. My old B 7100 used gear oil and the loader had it's own reservoir. I guess I just forget about working on the old iron anymore. It's been a while but I appreciate the correction Kubota Newbie.
 

Kubota Newbie

Active member

Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Dec 28, 2010
533
81
28
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Bulldog,
The M4500 has a common reservoir for all the hydraulics and the tranny, when it was new you'd have been using gear oil for everything. Don't know when they changed them over to the UDT type stuff, my guess would be late 80's early 90's, probably a better question for Service Dept Vic or eserv.

OLD IRON!!!! Heck... my M4500 is practically bran' spanking new, at least compared to the 1945 farmall H it replaced. :rolleyes:
 

Bulldog

Well-known member

Equipment
M 9000 DTC, L 3000 DT
Mar 30, 2010
5,440
78
48
Rocky Face, Georgia
OLD IRON!!!! Heck... my M4500 is practically bran' spanking new, at least compared to the 1945 farmall H it replaced. :rolleyes:
I had to look back on what I wrote. I really didn't think of your M 4500 being "old iron". When the thought passed over my brain I really was thinking about our old M, Super C's and such as that. We had a 67 model 806 and a 69 model 656 and even those used trans/hyd oil. I wish I still had the 806. Even being that old it was in great shape but it getting sold was out of my control. My B 7100 was the only Kubota in my area for years and it never needed to be worked on. My experience repairing orange tractors is very limited so my OLD comment really wasn't pointed at them. I'll try to do better next time.

I guess I need to engage my brain before I put my fingers in gear. :D
 

Kubota Newbie

Active member

Equipment
M4500, New Idea Cut-Ditioner, JD 14T Baler, IH "Plow Chief" plows, Oliver Rake
Dec 28, 2010
533
81
28
Mount Vernon, Ohio
That's ok, 1985 IS old by many folks standards today.

I follow on the red iron and the hy-tran fluid, even our old Farmall 560 used hy-tran fluid and it was probably about 1965 vintage. That's why I was so surprised to see that the manual for this M4500 specified 80w gear oil for the combined system.
 

Gordon Jones

Member

Equipment
L1500
Jul 17, 2011
31
0
6
Tualatin,Oregon
I just went thru this with my L1500. If you open the drain plugs on the axles you will drain the entire contents of your gearbox/axle. I also removed the suction filter and found it plugged with grease. Apparently the person who rebuilt the gearbox had put grease on everything. I can't complain, I got the tractor for free. G
 

Profnohair

Member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1500, 42" bh, box blade, G6200HST, Mahindra 450 with BH, FEL, etc.
Ok, It appears that I do have drain bolts on both sides of the axel. I do not see a reservoir to refill it. It has to come from the transmission reservoir as stated by Gordon Jones. I am posting pictures of the left and right sides of the axle.



I assume that the big bolt in one of the pictures is the full level bolt.
 

meanjean

Member

Equipment
Kubota MX4700
Aug 10, 2010
922
2
18
Hazelridge, Manitoba
Top bolt is the fill level.

Maybe I'm wrong (happens all the time) but I only drain the contents of the rear axel, not the entire system.
I will drain the rear end tonite and report back.
 
Last edited:

meanjean

Member

Equipment
Kubota MX4700
Aug 10, 2010
922
2
18
Hazelridge, Manitoba
Drained only the rear axel, not the whole system.
Fill via top bolt.

Maybe yours is different.
I thought they would be similar as the tractors are close cousins.